“…Don’t you regret that a child like Heka isn’t Assad’s match?”
The Empress, who had been silent, opened his mouth. He had already moved to stand beside the Emperor.
“I’m not the one looking for someone to marry. I don’t care who stands beside him. I just thought it would be nice if the person who entered the Crown Prince’s heart could be with him.”
“It will be noisy from now on. Now that a child has appeared who will inherit Assad’s coffin.”
“Only the talkative ones will be swept away. Well, when the time comes, will Assad step forward and pull out their tongues?”
“Yes. If he were a man who couldn’t protect his imperial seat because of his partner, he wouldn’t have become Your Majesty’s successor in the first place.”
Kasim’s words made the corners of Heset’s mouth rise.
“I’m glad things seem to have worked out well.”
“Having a child with an alpha who doesn’t know love would only bring unhappiness, so I was going to tell them to live separately without worrying about money. But since that alpha now asserts that he knows love… that’s good.”
“Yes. It worked out very well.”
“My father’s curse will no longer continue.”
“……”
“Well, let’s go have a drink. While talking about the child who might be our granddaughter or grandson.”
Having finished speaking, Heset patted his husband’s buttocks. No, he touched them.
“Are all alpha buttocks this hard? Not great.”
“Why do you touch buttocks you don’t like every day……”
The Empress, who had frowned, linked arms with the Emperor and trailed off. Despite his rigid voice, the tips of his ears had turned red.
* * *
Cayden had already been staying in Pima for seven days and two more. It was enough time for several incidents to be added to the peaceful Pima.
Among these several incidents, the most boisterous and welcome one happened just yesterday.
As Jahan had previously informed, new guests came to Pima. An older friend who had taught young Jahan academic subjects for a long time came to Pima at Jahan’s invitation. She came with her children.
That friend of Jahan’s was none other than Marwan, Heka’s mother.
In the unfamiliar land of Pima, Cayden met Heka again after a long time. It was the first time since the music concert held during the rainy season.
Heka wasn’t the only familiar face. There were two more people who had squeezed in like baggage among Marwan and her family. They were Titi and Nef, the only twins in the imperial family.
The atmosphere of the castle, which had felt static yet somehow sturdy, completely changed in just two days.
The commander’s castle became lively. Laughter filled with warm vigor roamed every corner of the castle. It was thanks to the twins from the capital. Heka, who was unclear whether he wanted or avoided them, was just an addition.
The twins were full of energy. They seemed to be so excited about wanting to have a fun time with Heka’s family. Jahan commented that they were in a state of desperate need to score points with Heka’s siblings and Marwan.
It was the same now.
Somehow, many people including Cayden had been pushed by the twins down to the training ground below the main castle. It was to watch the sparring of Jahan, the twins, and warriors who had been trained under Jahan for a long time. The imperial guards who had followed Cayden were also unexpectedly enrolled in the sparring.
Warriors who had chosen their weapons loosened up by swinging their blades in the air. Among the sounds of swords cutting through the air, the twins’ cheerful laughter mixed in.
Heka, who had been dragged to the training ground without enthusiasm by the hands of Titi and Nef, glared at the twins. But as soon as the twins each grabbed a spear and sword, he began to give a passionate gaze with a different meaning toward the inside of the sparring arena. He stood with his arms crossed, not even thinking of sitting down. Though he did get angry when the twins playfully blew kisses at him.
Cayden sat beside Marju, in place of Jahan. For the past nine days since staying in Pima, Cayden had been a companion of sorts to Marju. Now it was no longer awkward or difficult to converse with him.
“…After being driven out of the scorching land and wandering here and there, I did odd jobs for quite a long time in an illegal gladiatorial arena in the north.”
Marju, who had been absorbing each sound from the training ground into his ears, opened his mouth.
“Back then, I really hated the sound of iron clashing. Now it doesn’t bother me at all. It doesn’t feel even slightly anxious.”
“……”
“It’s… quite amazing that just by being with Jahan, all my anxiety has disappeared.”
Marju’s words continued slowly.
“Jahan said that the Crown Prince’s consort and I are very similar.”
“That’s too, too unfair to you, Lord Marju.”
“No. The one who should feel wronged is not me but the Crown Prince’s consort. Because I, like Jahan, think that the Crown Prince’s consort and I are very similar. I’ve thought so throughout the time I’ve spent with the Crown Prince’s consort in Pima.”
Is that so. Embarrassment was deeply embedded in Cayden’s murmuring voice.
“Crown Prince’s consort.”
Marju called out to Cayden.
“In the past, I didn’t believe in Jahan’s feelings. While being so certain of my feelings toward him, I didn’t try to look into Jahan’s heart.”
“……”
“Then I left the desert. After barely escaping death, I ran away even further.”
Marju’s two eyes, which appeared only white due to the hazy film over them, turned toward where Jahan would be somewhere in the training ground.
“While moving from place to place where people’s gazes wouldn’t reach, as my eyes became blind like this… do you know what regret I harbored every day?”
To the man who resembled him, Marju tried to reveal the regret he had harbored for a long time.
“I should have had courage just once.”
“……”
“To Jahan. Just once, I should have honestly conveyed my feelings. That was my regret.”
Jahan, who had been looking only at Marju even from a distance, waved his hand toward his lover. Though Marju, who couldn’t see, wouldn’t notice it, he smiled so joyfully while looking at him.
“Too much time has passed. But, from now on, I want to live without regrets. I know that it’s… really nonsensical for someone like me, who isn’t even physically whole, to be with Jahan. Even knowing that, I don’t think of leaving him.”
“……”
“I hope that the Crown Prince’s consort also lives without regrets.”
Cayden remained silent. He tried to move his lips, but in the end, no words came out. Marju didn’t urge Cayden, who was speechless. As if they weren’t words meant to elicit an answer, he simply quietly smiled to end the conversation.
“To Jahan. Just once, I should have honestly conveyed my feelings. That was my regret.”
Conveying one’s feelings. Cayden held Marju’s regret in his mouth.
Inadvertently, Cayden found himself imagining confessing his love to Assad.
Assad’s face, standing with his back to the sun, wasn’t clearly visible. To such an Assad, he shouted, I love you. No, he said, I wish you would love me too.
Assad didn’t give an answer. But soon, as usual, he lowered his head and met his gaze. As the distance closed, the shadow covering his face was instantly lifted. Assad was smiling. And he tightly embraced the man who had confessed his feelings to him.
It was a terrible delusion.
‘How ugly…’
Thinking this, Cayden weakly rubbed his right cheek. His insides churned and his fingertips grew cold. Yet, the area around his heart grew hot.
Cayden realized that he was feeling anxious. It was a strange anxiety that he didn’t know what name to give.
“……”
Cayden, who had been immersed in silence as cozy as the atmosphere of Pima, raised his head again.
“Crown Prince’s consort!”
It was because a familiar voice was calling his name.
Lihet, who had said she would have deeper and more intimate conversations with the servants of Pima whom she had already befriended, appeared at the training ground, not the main castle where she had stayed, looking for him. She couldn’t even lower her voice.
Leaving a word to Marju that he would be away for a moment, Cayden rose without hesitation. He went toward Lihet, who was stomping her feet.
Cayden had never seen Lihet behaving so busily. He was worried, wondering if something had happened to her.
“Lihet.”
Bending slightly for Lihet, who was much shorter than him, Cayden met her gaze.
Beads of sweat had formed on Lihet’s forehead. Judging by her rough breathing, she had clearly run to the training ground without rest. The guard standing near him also recognized Lihet and moved closer.
“T-That Crown Prince Assad……”
Lihet urgently began to speak. But her words couldn’t continue to the end. It was because of the noisy sounds that began to come from beyond the training ground.
It happened in an instant.
A man riding a black horse arrived in front of the training ground, raising a dust storm. Following the rough gait of the man who jumped off the horse without stepping on the stirrup, the gold decorations on his white uniform shook wildly.
The gazes of everyone gathered at the training ground were all directed at the man. Omegas and alphas frowned as if the threatening pheromones circling around the intruder were uncomfortable. It felt like their necks were being strangled by a madman who appeared out of nowhere without any context. An undeniable presence sharpened people’s five senses.
The hands holding weapons gripped with a different strength than when preparing for sparring. Since he had passed through the gate safely without a major disturbance, he probably wasn’t a dangerous figure. They knew this, yet still reacted that way.
But as the man drew closer, people’s hostility faded. What came in place of hostility was a strange silence.
The intruder, with a peculiar atmosphere that made it unclear whether he was a knight of god or an adversary of god, was the Empire’s Crown Prince.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
